Monument record MDO100 - Cross dyke on Askerswell Down, Askerswell

[Mentioned in general terms]. <1>

Two dykes cutting across the ridge. They have ditches on the outward sides, and extend for some 150-200 yds, and into LITTON CHENEY parish. <3>

A: From SY 54239185 to SY 54369201
B: From SY 54319182 to SY 54419196
Two banks and ditch earthworks A and B. A: This earthwork runs from NE-SW, across the ridge and consist of a bank with a ditch on the W side. It has been much ploughed down but is now grass covered. the bank averages 4.5m. wide and 0.3m high, and the ditch is of similar width and 0.3m deep. To the N of the modern road it has been mutilated by modern surface quarrying, and old alternate routes to the road. To the S. of the road there is no trace on the ground except for 25.0m of poorly defined bank S. of the parish boundary, under grass.

B: This earthwork is similar to A, but the ditch is on the E side. The bank averages 6.0m wide and 0.6m. high, and the ditch 4.0m. wide and 1.2m. deep.

To the N of the road it has been mutilated by surface quarrying and the ditch perhaps enlarged to form a parish boundary. A comparatively modern field bank runs to the NW from the N end of the bank, and another, not shown on the OS 1/2500 runs from the N end of the ditch in a N and then a S.E. direction. Immediately N of the road 15.0m of the earthwork have been destroyed by old alternate routes to the present road. The earthwork is visible to the S of the road for 63.0m, though for the last 10.0m the ditch is very faint. In this grass covered section the bank averages 6.0m. wide and 0.7m. high, and the ditch 7.0m wide and 0.5m. deep. Both earthworks seem to be of boundary type and not defensive, and may be IA cross-ridge dykes. Both are visible on AP CPE/UK/2431/3153. <4>

The cross dykes are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. <6>

<1> Warne, C, 1872, Ancient Dorset (2nd Edition), 61 (Monograph). SWX1971.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

[SY 54359193] EARTHWORKS [OE]

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 02-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 15 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(15) EARTHWORKS on the S. edge of the parish nearly 1m. E.S.E. of the church, consist of two dykes and a third dyke about 650 yards to the W. cutting across the ridge. All three dykes extend S. into Litton Cheney parish. They run across the road on Askerswell Down. The two eastern dykes extend for some 150 to 200 yards and are about 100 yards apart; they have ditches on the outward side, towards the E. and W. respectively. The third dyke has the ditch on the E. side. There are various other scarps and banks of minor importance.'

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1957, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1956, 84-85 (Serial). SDO56.

<6> Royal Air Force, 22-JAN-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 3152-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11404.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451479 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 7 2025 12:31PM